Higher BPA Levels, More Heart Disease?

Aug. 15, 2012 -- People who have higher levels of the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) in their urine may be more likely to have narrowing of their coronary arteries, a new study shows.

BPA has been used for more than 40 years in food packaging, metal food and beverage can liners, and many other products. Nearly everyone has detectable levels of BPA, says researcher David Melzer, MD, PhD, professor of epidemiology and public health at England's University of Exeter.

Melzer's new study shows an association between urinary BPA levels and the width of the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart.

"The people who had narrowed arteries had higher levels of BPA in their urine," Melzer says.

The study, published in PLoS One, does not prove that BPA narrowed anyone's arteries. Many factors, including diet and activity, affect heart health.